Microfluidic-based (“lab-on-a-chip”) bioassays and sensors enable
automated or simply-operated medical diagnostic testing in near real-time at almost any
location. These diagnostic devices can be connected to networks, especially using
smartphones, where the smartphone camera serves as an optical detector or means of
image capture. In addition, the smartphone provides connected sensors, GPS, visual
displays, user-friendly interfaces, and limited electrical power. The added
communications, control, and computational capabilities foster a synergism that will
widen the applications of POC devices in healthcare and facilitate data acquisition for
machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance diagnostics accuracy and expand
medical knowledge. Here the technological developments for microfluidic devices in
combination with consumer devices, such as smartphones, for integration into the
Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), are reviewed.
Keywords: Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC),
Microfluidics, Medical Diagnostics, Point-of-Care (POC), Smartphones.
